Yes—unbelievers cannot understand the Bible because they are spiritually dead and the deep things of God are spiritually discerned.
The Bible says the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God and cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14). Les Feldick teaches that unsaved people are still in the old Adam, spiritually dead, and that the Scriptures remain a closed book until they are born again through salvation and the Holy Spirit enlightens them.
1 Corinthians 2:14 — This is the key verse that directly answers the question: the natural man cannot receive or know the things of the Spirit because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 2:13 — Paul explains that spiritual words are taught by the Holy Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual, showing why natural human wisdom is insufficient.
The apostle Paul writes, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). This is the biblical reason why there is a wall between a non-believer and the deep truths of Scripture: those truths are of the Spirit of God and must be spiritually discerned. Paul also explains that the words he speaks are "not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (1 Corinthians 2:13). In other words, Scripture's deepest truths are not simply a matter of human intellect or education; they are spiritual in nature and must be taught and discerned by the Holy Spirit.
Les explains that the difficulty begins with the human condition. Because of Adam's original sin, the human race is born spiritually dead. The unsaved person is still living under the old Adam and remains in the natural state Paul calls the "natural man." Les says such a person simply cannot comprehend the deeper things of God—"it's impossible"—and the truth will "go over his head" (Clips 0, 1, 3, 5). Les clarifies that this does not mean an unbeliever can understand nothing at all. He says they may grasp simple Bible stories such as the story of Bethlehem, but when it comes to deep doctrinal aspects of the Word of God and end-time prophecy, it is "a closed book" to them (Clip 2). He also observes that the unsaved person does not want to understand, because the whole thing seems foolish to him (Clip 4). The turning point, Les stresses, is salvation. He bluntly tells people who can't understand his teaching, "Once you come to know the Lord, you will." When a person is saved and born again by the Spirit, the book opens up, the Holy Spirit enlightens them, and the Scriptures begin to make sense (Clips 3, 7). Even the newest believer finds the Bible understandable, and understanding grows with Christian experience (Clips 5, 6).
Yes. Les teaches that spiritual death entered the human race when Adam sinned and that people are "born dead." He says that all the way from Genesis to Ephesians, the continuing premise is that man in his natural state is spiritually dead because of Adam's original sin. Because of this condition, the natural man cannot comprehend the things of God. The biblical basis is Paul's statement that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Les says an unsaved person may be able to understand a few surface-level things, such as the story of Bethlehem or some other Bible stories. But when it gets down to the deep doctrinal aspects of the Word of God and end-time prophecy, it is a closed book to him. Les also says most of the time when people say they can't get anything out of the Word, the reason is that they know nothing of salvation and are still living under the old Adam.
The Bible itself says the things of the Spirit of God are "foolishness" to the natural man (1 Corinthians 2:14). Les explains that this is why unsaved neighbors think something is wrong with someone who goes to a Bible study on a weeknight. To the unsaved world, it is all foolishness. Les says the natural man does not want to comprehend, and since it is foolishness to him, he cannot know these things because they are spiritually discerned.
Les has observed that people who knew nothing of the things of God, as soon as they became believers, could "see the whole thing" and could question nothing. He tells those who say they can't understand the Word that they will understand once they come to know the Lord and enter into a salvation experience. As Les puts it, "Once we enter into a salvation experience and we've been born again by the Spirit of God, the book opens up." The Holy Spirit then enlightens the believer, even the most infantile believer finds the Bible understandable, and understanding grows as they grow in their Christian experience.
Born Spiritually Dead
Les traces the difficulty to Adam's fall, explaining that spiritual death has already taken place and every human being is born dead spiritually.
The Natural Man Cannot Receive Spirit Truth
Les connects Paul's phrase 'the natural man' to spiritual death and says an unbeliever will not understand his teaching because it is spiritually discerned.
Deep Doctrines Are a Closed Book
Les says unsaved people may understand simple Bible stories, but the deep doctrinal aspects of the Word and end-time prophecy are a closed book to them.
Comprehension Requires a Salvation Experience
Les bluntly tells those who cannot understand the Word that they will understand once they come to know the Lord; a salvation experience opens the Scriptures.
The Unbeliever Sees It as Foolishness
Les explains that the natural man does not want to comprehend because the things of God seem foolish, using the example of unsaved neighbors mocking weekday Bible study.
Spiritual Truth Is Taught by the Holy Spirit
Les quotes 1 Corinthians 2:13 to show that Scripture's words are taught by the Holy Spirit, and repeats that man in his natural state is spiritually dead.
Believers Grow in Understanding
Les says once a person becomes a child of God, God expects them to learn and grow in a graphic understanding of what He has done—something even the previously untaught believer can do.
The Book Opens Up at Salvation
Les says even the most intellectual cannot know the things of God unless the Spirit reveals them; once a person is born again by the Spirit, the book opens up.
1 Corinthians 2:13: Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Paul says the words of Scripture are taught by the Holy Spirit, showing why human wisdom alone cannot understand them.
1 Corinthians 2:14: But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
This is the direct biblical answer for why non-believers cannot understand the deep things of God.
Les says an unsaved person may understand a few surface-level things, such as the story of Bethlehem, but the deep doctrinal aspects of the Word and end-time prophecy are a closed book. The Bible says the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit because they are spiritually discerned.
He told them plainly, "Once you come to know the Lord, you will." He believed their inability to understand was the result of being unsaved and still in the natural state under the old Adam.
The Bible says the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit and cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned. Les teaches that only after salvation does the Holy Spirit begin to open up the Scriptures to a person.
Watch the Teaching: Why Adam's Sin Condemned You — Romans 5 Explained